I love to hear and see our local youth (call it what you want but in this case “the Cowichan Valley chapter of Earth Guardians”) expressing their passion and enthusiasm regarding preserving and protecting our environment.

I find it rather disturbing that once again the young generation wants to blame the older folks: “but we’ve come to the conclusion that the older generations are not doing enough”; exactly what are we not doing enough of? I would suggest to the youth of today to redirect their passion and enthusiasm toward advancing their education and life experiences. We older folks do know how great it feels to be passionate about something, we have been there and done that, just ask us, but please do get a grip on the entire picture before you dump on this older generation.

Perhaps some perspective from the “older generation” might help. We are the ones who have invented computers and related advanced technology that has led to smartphones, tablets, Facetime, Youtube, streaming videos, 65 inch flat screen TVs to name a few to which our youth are so addicted to these days and could not do without.

Further, this older generation invented the environmental consciousness to which youth today aspire and we created the buzz phrases of the day like “being green”, “sustainable development”, “organic” and ecological biodiversity…all in themselves meaning nothing without a clear and detailed description and elaboration.

And, these same youths can thank the “older” generations for the significant advancement in medical technology, medical treatment, research and development that has given them the potential of the greatest lifespan of any early generations of humans on this planet.

At the same time we older folks offer the ability to buy groceries and fresh produce (although, granted, they are so young they have not yet had the need to actually do their own shopping for a family yet) from all over the world right at your local grocery store(s) through the wonders of modern and efficient cultivation and transportation systems.

Complement this with the ability to head out to the mall and buy those $200 jeans with holes in the knees so that they can stay current with their peers.

Youth of today should actually thank their elders for the lifestyle they have become accustomed to and appreciate that they would not want to go back to some early state. This is not to say we all should not continue our thinking and actions toward improving our care of our environment (planet). The standards of the day are today what they are, and future generations always look back and question those early standards.

All the while this older tax paying, tax contributing generation has invested and continues to invest billions, collectively trillions of dollars (sometimes a bit misguided), in various environmental causes toward a better future.

It’s about balance of priorities and we, the older generation, have provided our youth of today with our best sense and values which they now bring to the table for consideration; please don’t get too carried away with youthful blind passion without fully understanding or recognizing the consequences. Recognize that it’s the older generation that is still manipulating the agenda which might be characterized as one of doom and gloom about global catastrophe through self-serving groups such as the UN and its IPCC. Question everything, actually study the facts, get fulsome views for all aspects of the question at hand and make educated and rational decisions about the best course of action. A strike about not doing enough, like switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy is only part of an answer to a very complicated issue.

Then dear youth, once you have all the facts, the life experiences, the in-depth knowledge and understanding, then you can (will) leave us with better standards of the day.

Bryan Wallis

Retired Professional Forester

Maple Bay

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